Beggar’s Bread Position and Policy Statement on McCraneyism

“The bottom line of the whole thing is that Shawn wants to be able to teach whatever he feels like at any given moment, call it “real” Christianity . . . and never have to answer for it.”Brother Thomas, February 13, 2015

The Short Version
McCraneyism (the system of doctrine and theology taught by Shawn McCraney, and the community that surrounds it) for the purposes of this website will be treated like a Mormon splinter group. That is, no proselytizing for it will be allowed, and it’s heretical teachings will be publicly exposed and denounced as deemed appropriate here. What follows explains the reasoning behind this position. Please read it in full before commenting and/or contacting us with any questions or concerns.

The Long VersionThe Dilemma
Since the issue of the false teachings of Shawn McCraney and his McCraneyism movement continue to be an issue it was felt that better clarification and group boundaries from this website on the issue needed to be given.

This is a difficult issue since we all saw the good fruit that Shawn McCraney bore through his Heart of the Matter program prior to January 2013 – that was the time period when Shawn McCraney focused exclusively on the errors of Mormonism. We recognize and appreciate the fact that many of this website’s Ex-Mormon readers wouldn’t have left Mormonism and began their transition into Biblical Christianity had it not been for Mr. McCraney’s good work during this period. However, that was then, this is now.

The Current Problem
Starting in 2013 Mr. McCraney began teaching error and in some cases heresy. Ironically, while the content of those teachings are different, in concept they are the same as what Joseph Smith taught. Specifically:

That Christian churches who adhere to historic Christian orthodoxy are wrong.

Their creeds are an abomination in God’s sight.

Their professors are all corrupt and motivated by things other than the truth.

They’re treating Shawn’s communication not only lightly, but with great contempt, even saying it may be of the devil.

As a result, there’s prejudice against Shawn among these corrupt, self-interested professors of religion.

And that all the above is the cause of a great persecution of Shawn.

Further, his circumstances in life are such as to make Shawn of no real consequence in the world.

Yet despite all this men of high standing are taking notice sufficient to excite the public mind against him.

But Shawn has an inner witness that he can’t deny, lest he offend God and come under condemnation.

And so he continues to bring forth new revelations week after week after week.

Sound familiar? Yes, the above list uses Joseph Smith’s 1838 First Vision account as the template in describing Shawn’s basic, recurring message but it does so because the shoe fits. Therefore, this assessment is particularly astute and to the point:

… a former Mormon, he is mainly targeting other former Mormons and disaffected Mormons. Without a ‘nod to Joseph,’ he is playing on their ingrained prejudices and leading them into another counterfeit of Biblical Christianity. Mormonism is often categorized as a Christian cult, because it primarily targets those from a Christian background. You don’t see many Mormons trying to evangelize Muslims. Similarly, Shawn is targeting those from a Mormon background. This is why I would loosely call it a Mormon splinter group.(Jason Wallace in the “Evangelicals Discussing Mormonism” Facebook Group)[1]

Even his familiar recurring exhortation to, “Don’t trust me – read the Bible for yourself and see if this is true!” mirrors Mormonism:

I have heard many followers of Shawn say they don’t agree with Shawn on some things, but they aren’t worried because he tells them not to trust him, but check out the Bible for themselves. This sounds good, until you recognize that Shawn mocks and ridicules every pastor who says he’s teaching error. Though he may allow latitude in individual beliefs, he cannot tolerate any public disagreement with him. Critics are accused of “character assassination.” The subtle pressure in such a community is to conform. Would a false teacher invite someone to test them from the Bible? Most have; Brigham Young said in 1873, “I say to the whole world, receive the truth, no matter who presents it to you. Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test” (Journal of Discourses 16:46).[2]

The Heresies
In addition, in February 2014 with his rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity Shawn McCraney crossed the line from “concerning” to “heretical”. Since then he has gone on to teach several other heresies including Universalism and Full Preterism.[3] The best short summation of the errors and heresies of McCraneyism to date is Jason Wallace’s article, “McCraney-ism”.

And for those who would like to get fully up to speed (or review) how and when Shawn McCraney went from Christian orthodoxy to Christian heretic please consider these resources:

Finally, I want to give a special recommendation to the body of work from Brother Thomas. He is a recovered Shawnite who began to sense problems in Shawn’s teaching, theology and behavior around late 2012. An eyewitness to Shawn McCraney’s transition from orthodoxy to heresy, he wrote about it as things went from good to bad to even worse.

He has produced such a rich, prolific, and insightful analysis of Shawn’s descent from orthodoxy into heresy that I recommend that the reader consider his blog articles from oldest to newest as they act as a kind of “insider’s view” into the development of McCraneyism in much the same way early Mormon documents do Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Click here for a link to his articles on Shawn McCraney and McCraneyism from newest to oldest.

But Brother Thomas is one of the fortunate ones. Unfortunately, our observation of the behavior of Shawn’s remaining followers over several months and situations is that they act and think exactly like Mormons except that they’re now in a new group and religion. The behavior is so similar in fact, that in many of their arguments one need only substitute “Joseph Smith” for “Shawn McCraney”, “Mormon Church” for “CAMPUS”, and “the church teaches” for “Shawn teaches” and you have exactly the same arguments that Latter-day Saints use in defending Mormonism. This includes a heavy use of labeling, name calling, villainizing, marginalizing, and ad-homineming of critics. Thus we have seen the warning in “Dear Michelle” fulfilled in real life:[4]

The reason why we former cultists are so prone to this type of error Michelle is because the past – whether we realize it or not – feels comfortable to us. As a result we’re drawn to the old and familiar like a moth to a flame – so we tend to be same moth, new flame.

Same moth, new flame.

Summary and ConclusionAs a result of the above, McCraneyism (the system of doctrine and theology taught by Shawn McCraney, and the Shawnite community that surrounds it) for the purposes of this website will be treated like a Mormon splinter group. That is, no proselytizing for it will be allowed, and its heretical teachings will be publicly exposed and denounced as deemed appropriate by this website.

Appendix A: Shawn McCraney Responds
When an earlier version of this Position and Policy Statement was adopted by two Facebook groups in March 2015 Shawn McCraney addressed it on the March 11, 2015 Heart of the Matter broadcast (that is, Episode 436: Sola Scriptura – Part 2). The following response was posted on the both the HOTM.tv website page for the episode (where it was initially deleted – a repost was done on March 18th, 2015) and YouTube page (where the initial post is currently still up):

In this Heart of the Matter broadcast (@00:02:45) Shawn McCraney issued a statement regarding the recent Position and Policy Statement on McCraneyism which was posted on at least two Facebook groups.

Now please consider the following regarding Mr. McCraney’s public response to this statement:

1) He misrepresented the arguments that are being leveled at he and the McCraneyism movement.

2) He failed to address the substance of those arguments.

3) His statement, “Jesus is God in flesh – the Word uncreated” is too broad and general to be accepted as fully “orthodox”. As worded, this confession could refer to the heretical modalism that McCraney teaches, a number of other heretical stances on the nature of God, and/or biblically orthodox Christology. In summary, it fails because of its imprecision.

4) His statement “The Holy Spirit as God in spirit” is skewed to the heretical – especially given the fact that he has taught on the Holy Spirit as an “it” or a “force” rather than a person.

5) He has never apologized for or renounced the content of his heretical teachings, merely the delivery.

6) The errors of his teachings have been addressed from the Bible on the Beggar’s Bread website, on Brother Thomas’ blogsite and elsewhere many, many, many times. However, Mr. McCraney continues to hold to and teach them. The problem isn’t that his error hasn’t been exposed and addressed from the Bible, the problem is that Mr. Craney refuses to listen.

In fact, in 2014 a world renowned and widely respected theologian even flew out to Utah at his own expense to correct Shawn on the heresy he was teaching. These face-to-face sessions were done over the course of several days and this too, ultimately, was to no avail.

In conclusion, Mr. McCraney’s statement was exactly the same kind of spin doctored, obfuscation that we see from the LdS Church and other Mormon splinter groups.

Further, Mr. McCraney engaged in the classic Mormon tactic of using Christian terminology but changing the underlying meaning in this statement.

There is, therefore, no need to withdraw the charge. In fact, Mr. McCraney’s statement actually confirmed it’s validity and veracity.

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UPDATE: On June 17, 2015 Shawn McCraney sent the follow email out to those on his list of past financial supporters:

Friends –

We have been doing ministry in the state of Utah now for ten years with great success (thank God). Recently the only full power Christian television station in the state was sold to Telemundo (commercial Hispanic television). No longer is there any television programming reaching the state with the Good News of Jesus Christ (the real Good news, that is).

Our ministry is in a position to purchase a full power station for half of its estimated value.

We need two million dollars to buy and operate it, and are seeking to get it from Accredited Investors* who will come in and help us acquire this station, which literally covers the entire state through broadcast, cable, Dish and Direct TV – over a million households!

We have done all the financial due diligence and have a tremendous operating plan and budget in place. We just need the capital to make the deal work. This is a for-profit opportunity, but we will continue to reach the state with the Good News of Jesus Christ all day Sunday (which is our primary motivation for acquiring the station in the first place).

If you know of ANYONE who has the financial means (and qualifies as an Accredited Investor, as described below) please have them contact me directly by phone as soon as possible.

Again, I am asking you to take a moment and think of people you know who might qualify and pass this information along to them ASAP. We have until June 30, 2015 to make the deal happen or we will lose it. If you are not an Accredited Investor (I’m not), please pray for God’s leading hand in what we are trying to accomplish.

While Beggar’s Bread agrees that Utah would benefit from having a full power Christian television station, given his history of unstable and inconsistent leadership combined with his continuing to teach and support heretical theological positions, we don’t think that Shawn McCraney and/or Alathea Ministries (his umbrella ministry organization) are qualified to own or steward such an enterprise.

Please join us in praying that God will call and rise up another, better, organization or individual to do so.

UPDATE: March 25, 2016
Unaware of the problems with Mr. McCraney’s ministry that started in 2013, the “Christian Utah” podcast schedules Shawn McCraney to appear on the show to discuss Heart of the Matter and CAMPUS. After being brought up to speed by several concerned colleagues and listeners the show’s producer reports his concerns to Shawn and suggests that they discuss them on the show. As he explains to Shawn in an email, “If there was some understanding, this [upcoming interview] would be a great opportunity to clear your name and help people see your ministry through a new light.”

Instead Mr. McCraney simply cancels the interview.

As as a result of these events “Christian Utah” schedules Jason Wallace as a replacement and they spend about half the show discussing the history of Shawn McCraney’s slide into heresy and error and the other half discussing the unique culture of Mormonism in general and Utah in particular that lends itself to the type of Christian antinomianism taught and practiced by Shawn McCraney and many others in the state.

This show is also a superb primer for those who want to get up to speed quickly on the history of Shawn McCraney in Utah, the Shawnites, and McCraneyism as it stood as of that date. Click here to listen to this show or on the embedded YouTube video below:

2) FULL PRETERISM
The belief that the second coming of Jesus Christ fully occurred in 70AD when Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus.

This heresy denies the physical resurrection of the dead and asserts that we are currently living on the New Earth.

Supporting evidence: HOTM episodes 405-418, 496

3) UNIVERSALISM
The belief that everyone will ultimately be redeemed and no one will be eternally damned.

This heresy denies the just nature of God making Him ONLY loving rather than both just and loving.

Supporting evidence: HOTM episodes 419, 421-425, 496

4) ADOPTIONISM
The belief that the incarnate Christ was ONLY fully human and not also fully divine.

This heresy denies the deity of Jesus.

Supporting evidence: HOTM episodes 482-489, 496

5) GNOSTICISM
The McCraneyism version of Gnosticism goes something like this: Christianity is totally spiritual, there is no physical reality or dimension to it. Therefore, anything material can be ignored and abandoned.

This heresy denies bible’s clear directives and commands regarding the visible church, church discipline, pastors, elders, personal accountability, etc., etc. In this model the physical and objective is subordinated to the spiritual dimension. Essentially this heresy is the underlying basis for what Shawn McCraney calls, “Christian Anarchy”.

6) SUBJECTIVISM(Shawn McCraney’s term)
The belief that the Bible should be subordinated to the “leading of the Spirit” rather than the objective standard for all life and belief.

While not technically a heresy, this doctrine leads to relativism and opens to the door any and all beliefs as equally valid and legitimate. In such a system all theological boundaries disappear and one can believe anything that one claims is from the Holy Spirit. In the McCraneyism system of Subjectivism, orthodoxy disappears and is replaced by theological rebellion and self centeredness fueled by feelings. In other words, it’s Mormonism in another form.

Supporting evidence: HOTM episodes 402-405, 496

NOTE: This list doesn’t include the long list of egregious error that is still harmful and corrupting but doesn’t fully qualify as heresy.

“Whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
— Luke 9:5 NKJV

The March 18, 2018 Fred W. Anson article, “Shawn McCraney and the Church of Post-Modernism”, represents the last article on McCraneyism that Beggar’s Bread intends to publish. Beginning in early 2014 (when Shawn McCraney crossed the line from simply being imbalanced and in error into outright heresy) this website has maintained a timeline of pertinent events and has published editorial content designed to both steer people away from the error and heresy unleashed on the world by Shawn McCraney and the movement that he leads. This site now contains ample proof of the errors and heresies of McCraneyism, it’s doubtful that more is needed.

Over time it has become more and more apparent that since Mr. McCraney and his followers have simply traded one form of Mormonism (the LDS Movement) for another (McCraneyism). It is NOT inaccurate to refer to McCraneyism as yet just another Mormon splinter group, it’s reality.

As a result, our efforts at confronting and challenging the errors and heresies of McCraneyism, seem to have simply fed and emboldened the residual persecution complex conditioned response that the LdS Church does such a fine job of teaching it’s people among the Shawnite ranks. As a result, the typical Shawnite not only militates again outsiders challenging the false teachings and bad fruit of their new False Prophet, they do so in some of the ugliest ways imaginable.

Therefore, on behalf of Beggar’s Bread, I am shaking off the dust from my feet as my testimony against them. And I encourage all other Christians – including those Utah Pastors who are tempted to appear on HOTM – to do the same.

Brothers and Sisters, since the first two phases of the Matthew 18 formula (see Matthew 18:15-17) have clearly failed, in my opinion, we are now left with only the third when it comes to Shawn McCraney and his followers:

“If he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
(Matthew 18:17b NKJV)

Thank for listening and may we all live our lives Coram Deo (before the face of God) and Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone).

I thought that things were bad with Shawn but I had NO idea they were THIS bad. Candidly, I don’t think that it’s an overstatement to say that Mr. Craney is now a wolf in sheep’s clothing. IMO, it is simply the truth – an understatement in fact!

PLEASE don’t take my word it, check it out for yourself – just listen to this interview and compare it to the qualities that the Bible says that someone in public Christian leadership must possess:

“For this reason I left you [Titus] in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you — if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”
(Titus 1:5-9 NKJV)